Letterman lashes out at Bush camp over debate

By Jeremy Pelofsky/Reuters

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C. (Reuters) - To debate or not to debate, that has been late night television comedian David Letterman's No. 1 question in recent days.

While Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush was receiving the royal treatment at his nominating convention in Philadelphia, he was being roasted by Letterman night after night on television for not responding to a debate invitation.

Two weeks ago the comedian invited Bush and his Democratic opponent Vice President Al Gore to a debate on his show, "The Late Show with David Letterman," Nov. 6, the night before Americans vote to select their new president.

Gore, anxious to debate his opponent, quickly accepted but Bush has not given his answer, leading Letterman to lash out at the Republican nominee on his show the past few nights.

At first, Bush press secretary Mindy Tucker did not return phone calls from the show's executive producer Maria Pope after the invitation was issued.

"We can't get anybody from George W. Bush's office to return our call," Letterman said on the show Tuesday night. "If this is the way they run the campaign, how do you think they're going to run the country?"

The comedian zeroed in on the Bush spokeswoman for failing to return repeated calls after Pope told Letterman that she only reached an intern named Steve in Philadelphia that day and no one called her back.

"Steve the intern, oh my God," Letterman retorted.

Alas, the on-air badgering and repeated calls finally seemed to have paid off -- well partially.

On Wednesday night's show Pope reported to Letterman that she finally received a call back from Tucker but the spokeswoman only said that the campaign had not made a decision about the debate.

Tucker said "the governor has been focusing his time on his big speech to the convention," according to Pope.

Letterman's late night show on CBS has about 4 million viewers each night, according to the network.

"We're breathing down their necks," Letterman said.

Three attempts by Reuters to obtain comment from a spokesperson with the Bush campaign at the convention site in Philadelphia were unsuccessful.

White House spokesman Joe Lockhart, who was a guest on Wednesday night's show, urged Letterman to escalate the request to Bush's communications director Karen Hughes.

"They were dumb enough not to call in first and say yes, so they deserve some of this," Lockhart said.

The Gore campaign accepted the invitation to debate immediately, according to Gore 2000 spokesman Douglas Hattaway.

"Al Gore would love to debate George Bush on the Letterman show or any show for that matter," he told Reuters. As for the failure to return phone calls, Hattaway said that would not happen at the Gore camp.

"If the Letterman show calls the Al Gore campaign, they will get a real spokesperson and a real answer," he said.

Gore has challenged Bush to hold debates twice a week instead of running television advertisements but has not received a response either, Hattaway said, noting it has been 142 days since the proposal was first made.

Gore Thursday was wrapping up a working vacation on an island along the North Carolina coast and will begin campaigning again Friday in Chicago.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Thursday, August 3, 2000

• At GOP convention, Bush nephew appeals to younger voters, Hispanics
  
• GOP convention ends with Bush pledge to 'seize the moment of American promise'
  
• Philadelphia police on standby for last-day convention protests
  
• Bush acceptance speech tonight
  
• Bush: 'They had their chance'
  
• Media creates critical mass at convention
  
• Human Rights Campaign chastises GOP 'facade'
  
• Stuart Rothenberg: Understanding the convention 'bounce' not always simple
  
• What to look for at Thursday's convention
  
• At last, GOP faithful get what they came for
  
• Gore close to making choice on running mate, aides say
  
• The politics junkie: The Republican (Old) Guard
  
• Reno urges caution, more research, after Brady Law study
  
• Letterman lashes out at Bush camp over debate
  
• Ford's condition improves, but swollen tongue stumps doctors
  
• Elder Bush provoked by Clinton 'fun' -- Lockhart
  
• Cheney blisters Clinton-Gore administration in acceptance speech
  
• Cheney breaks GOP convention's nonpartisan tone with acceptance speech
  

ARCHIVES